Device for trimming shades.



No. 686,687. Patented Nov; 12, I90l.

H. C. CHAFFEE.

DEVICE FOR TRIMMlNG SHADES.

(Application filed June 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY o. oI-IAEEEE, OF oLINToN, IOWA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO PETER H.KELLY, OF oLINToN, IOWA.

DEVICE FOR TRIMMING SHADES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,687, dated November12, 1901.

Application filed June 22, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. CHAFFEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Olinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Trimming Shades, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an -improved device for trimming shades, andhas for its object to provide an apparatus which will enable theoperator to trim the shade without removing it from the roller.

Detailed objects of the invention relate to certain features ofconstruction and to combinations and operations of parts, which willhereinafter be described, and specifically indicated in the claims.

In order that my invention may be understood, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view,a roller with a shade thereon being shown in dotted lines in a positionto be trimmed; andFig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the uprightframe of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a relatively long base-blockprovided on its upper side with a longit-udinally-disposed V- shapedgroove 1 of a depth to receive a roller and shade placed therein.

2 indicates what I term the frame of the machine, which comprisesuprights 3 4, connected at their top ends, on the front thereof, by across-bar 5. The lower end portions of these uprights are widened, asindicated at 6, and embrace opposite sides of the base-block, and at thefront of the apparatus the uprights are further connected by means of acrosspiece 7, screwed or otherwise secured to the end of the base-block1, as indicated at 8, and having a V-shaped recess 8 somewhat largerthan the groove in the base-block. On the inner side of each upright isa lug,,(indicated, respectively, by the numerals 9- 10,) which lugs alsoare connected to the upper edge of the cross-piece 7. The enlargedportion 6 of the upright, the lugs 9 10, and the cross-piece 7 togetherform a socket, as will be seen, for the reception of the end of thebase-block 1. At the top of the frame the uprights 3 4 are Serial No.65,667. (No model.)

' provided with similar lugs 11 12, respectively,

which are also connected to the crossbar 5 and are in vertical alinementwith the lugs 9 10. Secured at opposite ends in any suitable manner inthe lugs 9 l1 and 10 12, respectively, are upright rods 13, the purposeof which rods is to form guides for a crosshead 14, extending betweenthe uprights 3 4 and apertured near opposite ends to receive and slideon the rods 13. Secured in any suitable manner, as by means of screws15, to the front side of the cross-head 14 is a cutter 16, whichcomprises a rectangular piece of metal-say steel-provided with a recess17 in the shape of an inverted V, the opposite sides of which arebeveled to form knife-edges 18. The recess in the cutter 16 is adaptedto coact with the recess 8 in the cross-piece 7 when the shades arebeing trimmed, for which purpose the cutter 16 in its movements is alsoin close contact with said cross-piece and slides upon the front facethereof. On the upper side of the cross-head 14 is arranged a lug 19, towhich is pivotally secured one end of a short arm or link 20, asindicated at 21, the opposite end of which is pivotally secured to alever 22, intermediate the ends thereof, as indicated at 23. The lever22 is pivotally mounted at its outer end on the upper end of the upright3, as indicated at 24, and at its free end is provided with a handle 25for operating the same. Encircling each of the rods 13 is a coiledspring 26, the upper ends of which bear against the under side of thelugs ll 12, while the lower ends bear upon the upper side of thecross-head 14. These springs normally tend to press the cross-head 14,with its cutter 16, downward.

In operation, it being desired to trim a shade which has been secured toa roller, the shade is wound upon the roller and laid in thergroove 1*.By grasping the handle 25 the lever 22 is raised to raise the cross-headwith its cutter, and the end of the shade is pushed out through thediamond-shaped opening thus afforded to the requisite distance. Thehandle 25 is then released, and the springs 26 press the cross-head,with its cutter 16, downward, so that the knife-edges 18 will come intocontact with the shade. The force of this engagement between the cutterand the shade may be increased, if desired, by pressing down upon thelever 22. In order to trim the shade, all that is necessary now is tosimply turn the shade around by hand, when the knife edges 18 will outthrough the shade to the roller. The cutter may now be slightly elevatedand the shade be pushed a little farther out and the end of the rollerthen be sawed off. After this the end casting may be secured to theroller as usual. In like manner the opposite side of the shade may betrimmed and the opposite end of the roller be cut off. Heretofore, sofar as I am aware, it has been necessary to remove the shade from theroller and trim the same with a pair of shears or with a straight-edgeand knife. This operation is exceedingly slow, and objectionable forthis reason. It will be seen that by the use of my machine the shade maybe quickly trimmed without removing the same from the roller and withoutrequiring special skill on the part of the operator. It will beunderstood, of course, that after one end of the shade has been trimmedthe requisite distance from this end will be measured to determine thepoint at which the opposite side of the shade shall be trimmed. In theoperation of sawing the roller the cutter 16 may be advantageouslyemployed as a clamp to hold the roller firm while it is being sawed.

That portion of the apparatus designated herein as the frame 2 Icontemplate forming as an integral casting, thus enabling me tomanufacture the device very cheaply.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device for trimming shades, a baseblock having alongitudinally-disposed V- shaped groove, a cutter located at one end ofsaid base and having a recess in the form of an inverted V, the oppositesides of said recess being sharpened to afford knife-edges, springstending normally to press said cutter downward, and a lever forreciprocating said cutter.

2. A device for trimming shades, comprising a base having alongitudinally-disposed V-shaped groove, a reciprocating cross-headlocated above said base and carrying a cutter provided withupwardly-convergin g knifeedges coactin g with said groove, springstending normally to press said cross-head downward, and a leverconnected to said crosshead for raising and lowering the same.

3. A device for trimming shades, comprising uprights connected by across-piece having a V -shaped recess, a base fitted at one end betweensaid uprights and having a longitudinally-disposed groove, a cross-headcarrying a cutter, said cutter having a recess in the form of aninverted V, the sides of said recess affording knife-edges coacting withthe V- shaped recess in said cross piece, and means for raising andlowering said crosshead.

4. A device for trimming shades, comprising a frame having uprights andprovided with a socket portion consisting of a crosspiece connectingsaid uprights and provided with a V-shaped recess and of lugs projectinginward from said uprights and from the end of said cross-piece atopposite sides thereof, a base fitted at one end in said socket portionand having a longitudinally-disposed groove, a cutter arrangedinproximity to said cross-piece, and means for raising and lowering saidcutter.

5. A device for trimming shades, comprising a frame having uprights andafiording a socket portion, said socket portion comprising a cross-pieceextending between said uprights at the front sides thereof and having aV-shaped recess and of lugs extendinginward from said upright and fromthe upper end of said cross-piece at opposite sides thereof, a basefitted at one end in said socket portion and secured to said cross-pieceand provided with a longitudinally disposed groove, a cross-barconnecting the upper ends of said uprights, lugs extending inward fromopposite ends of said cross-bar and of said uprights and in verticalalinement, respectively, with the lugs first named, rods mounted atopposite ends in the respective pairs of lugs, a cross-head mounted toslide on said rods, a coiled spring encircling each of said rods andhearing at their upper ends on the under side of said last-named lugs,and at their lower ends against the top of said cross-head, means forraising and lowering said cross-head, and a cutter carried by saidcross-head and coacting with the groove in said cross-piece.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY C. CI-IAFFEE.

Witnesses:

MARK A. WALSH, E. C. WALSH.

